Unreal Engine 3 Becomes U.S. Army Training Tool

Epic's Unreal Engine 3 will soon be put to use as a training tool for the United States Army.

I had no idea that there's something called the Unreal Government Network. It's part of the Virtual Heroes division of Applied Research Associates, "an international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically excellent solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences." The Unreal Government Network is the official site and support channel for government licensees of Unreal Engine technology; licensees like Intelligent Decisions Inc., "a pioneer in the application of instrumented wearable device technology in the mission training and rehearsal world," which has joined the UGN and licensed the Unreal Engine 3 for use in its software.

ID Inc. will use the Unreal Engine 3 to "improve the fidelity of autonomous avatars' behavior within the Dismounted Soldier Training System (DSTS) simulation with an aim to create a realistic training environment." In other words, at least as near as I can figure, it'll make for better AI, although other aspects of training scenarios will be improved as well. "Unreal Engine 3 will give ID's training scenario composers the ability to integrate an incoming fire haptic feedback system, full skeletal controls, and to customize terrain, weather, enemy forces, and other treacherous aspects of real life combat missions," Intelligent Design's Vice President of Simulation and Training Clarence Pape said.

The Dismounted Soldier Training System, since we're quoting amusingly dense Army press releases, is a "fully immersive virtual simulation training and rehearsal system for U.S. soldiers" that actually won the Army's Modeling and Simulation Award for Training last year. I didn't know that was something that existed, either.